A submarine manufactured by MDLAN INTERNATIONAL ship manufacturer, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), has expressed its readiness to assist Government to develop the Tema Shipyard and Drydock into multipurpose facilities that could design ships and accessories for the West African market.
Director in-charge of Shipbuilding, Admiral (rtd) A.K. Saxena who disclosed this, said the company, which is based in Mumbai, India had the needed capacity to support Ghana to secure its territorial waters.
On Wednesday, he told journalists at the opening of a 2-day International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference in Accra that his outfit could build warships, submarines merchant ships, among others.
Also, he said MDL’s yard had capabilities to undertake detailed design of surface ships for both military and commercial use.
MDL, he continued, had constructed and delivered 795 ships (including 25 warships and three submarines) and 67 offshore platforms since its establishment.
Currently, it is undertaking the construction of eight surface ships and five submarines and also carrying out refit of one submarine and a frigate.
Furthermore, he noted that MDL could provide vessels to provide maritime security for offshore oil installations and solutions for antipiracy as well as illegal fishing, while it could also manufacture vessels like OPVs, fast patrol boats, fast attack crafts and offshore structures.
Additionally, he said MDL could manufacture multipurpose support vessel, tugs, dredgers, water tankers, passenger cum cargo vessels, floating cranes, offshore supply vessels and pontoons.
MDL has expressed willingness to provide handholding during design construction outside India as well as training to personnel through the OEMs of equipment.
The yard has recently modernised infrastructure and augmented its capacity by acquiring more land parcels and water front.